Press release

Germany's strong ties are a weapon against opponents

Nine of the 12 German athletes play together back in Germany

Niterói, Brazil, August 10, 2011 – Playing for ninth place in the FIVB Volleyball Men’s Junior World Championship, Germany may be considered one of the most close-knit teams of the competition. There is a simple reason for that: nine of the 12 athletes played together in the VC Olympia Berlin team last season.

Although the players know each other very well, the team had a rough start in the beginning of the competition, losing all three matches in the first round. Germany head coach Stewart Bernard explained that the team suffered with the loss of three main players right before the start of the championship. One of them was injured during the preparation while another started playing beach volleyball and the third went to study in Hawaii.

“It was very hard losing these three players. They were starting players and were very important to the team, so I think losing them kept us from the final round,” Bernard said.

In the second round, Germany started showing improvement to their game and managed to win two out of the three matches, losing only to Belgium, 3-2. The rematch will take place in the August 10 match for ninth place and everything indicates that it will be another five-set game, as both teams are very well prepared.

Bernard believes that the fact that most of his players are on the same team back in Germany was a key element for their good performance in the second round.

“I think it was very good for the team, especially because they know each other very well,” he said.

Since there is no more chance of a gold medal, the preparations for the next tournament are already being made. After the World Championship is over, at least nine of the players will come back to their clubs to play in the German A league. To coach Bernard, that will be a big help for the next junior competition.

“I think it’s a good league and it’s good for the players to get that experience, so they can come back in a higher level.”

For Germany captain Björn Höhne, one of the athletes who will no longer be a junior next year, the hope is to make it to the Germany senior team one day.

“The national (junior) team is ending for most of us and maybe two or three players will be able, in the future, to play in the national A team,” Höhne said. “And I hope I can be one of them.”

Written by Helena Cabo Petry, senior student of Journalism at Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Rio de Janeiro and participant of the FIVB Program “Young Writers 4 Young Players.”